After WWII, Seidel did intricate iron work in S.A.

Updated 7:10 pm, Sunday, January 22, 2012

At the onset of World War II, Harry Seidel was working on B-17 bombers at Kelly Airfield. But his dream was to pilot the heavily armed, four-engine aircraft, known as the Flying Fortress.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces and became a pilot, flying 23 missions over Germany, with the final flight earning him the Purple Heart.

His crew had just completed a bombing mission over Dresden; Seidel was co-piloting the flight when enemy fire ripped through the plane striking the pilot, who died instantly.

Seidel was rapidly losing blood from being shot in the stomach and elbow. With severely injured crew members relying on him, Seidel took control of the plane, which was now running on two engines and missing its landing gear.

“The doctor on the plane offered him a morphine shot, but he said, “No. I have to be able to fly this plane back to England,” his son, Sam Seidel, said. “He had one mission, and that was saving everybody's lives.”

And he completed that mission after safely landing the bullet-torn plane onto a runway in Molesworth, England.

Seidel died Friday from complications of pneumonia. He was 88.

After his two-year recovery, from the injuries he sustained that day, Seidel returned to the United States. While on the ship heading home, he played a few lucky hands of poker and procured enough winnings to establish Seidel Iron Works.

His intricate welding adorns some of the city's historic structures, including the former Joske's building. Seidel was also responsible for much of the River Walk's iron work, the gates at Sunset Memorial Park and the brass planters and railings at Trinity University.

Additionally, Seidel's services were sought by homeowners who wanted to transform the ordinary into art. For one such client, Seidel designed and constructed a spiral stainless steel staircase.

But his most unusual request came from military personnel, when a missile they were transporting fell from a truck and was damaged. Seidel successfully repaired it, though it was a nerve-wracking process, his son recalled.

More Information

Harry S. Seidel

BORN: May 30, 1923, in San Antonio

DIED: Jan. 20, 2012, in San Antonio

MILITARY: Army Air Forces; Air Force

SURVIVED BY: His wife, Peggy; son, Sam Seidel

SERVICES: Family will receive friends on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home. Services will be held Wednesday at noon at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel

In the early 1990s, Seidel decided to retire. The day he closed his doors for good, he hung a sign that read “gone fishing.” And that's what he enjoyed doing, during the years that followed.

“He was an amazing artist and welder who always went above and beyond. He wanted to please people and make them happy with the final outcome,” his son said.